FAQ! What is better, Core i3 with a 8GB RAM or Core i5 with a 4GB RAM?

Frankly, It depends on your usage.

First I want you to tell you what exactly RAM can do. The biggest benefit of upgrading your PC’s memory is better multi-tasking, especially for those who use applications like Photoshop, Games and some programming tools.

Having a lot of memory means that you can quickly switch back and forth between the different applications. For example if you have an single application which is using 100 MB of RAM, it won’t matter if you have 1 , 4 or 8 GB RAM but if you are using 8 to 10 application each taking 100 MB RAM, then you will know the difference if you use 1 GB,4 GB or 8 GB.

So if you want to use an application like Photoshop or Virtual Box then its better to go for higher RAM. But if you want to use it for some small uses like Browsing, music, etc, 4 GB RAM is sufficient for you.

Now how to choose between 6th generation i3 and i5?

Core i3 has 2 cores while core i5 has 4 cores. Four core gives advantage over two cores when you use heavy application like 3-D rendering software. Dual core processors were clocked faster than quad core processors simply because having more cores increases power consumption and heat generation.

1) Hyper threading –

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology uses processor resources more efficiently, enabling multiple threads to run on each core.

As a performance feature, Intel HT Technology also increases processor throughput, improving overall performance on threaded software

Hyper-Threading is best applied to operations and applications where multiple tasks can be intelligently scheduled so there’s no idle time on your processor. Tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and heavy multi-tasking are great examples. Similarly, Hyper Threading can help a CPU push light tasks like background applications or browser windows to one processor, while heavy applications like games or full-screen video goes to another.

Actually only one thread can be served by one core at a time. So if a CPU is a dual core, then supposedly only two threads can be served simultaneously. However, Intel has introduced a technology called Hyper-Threading. This enables a single core to serve multiple threads.Core i3 is a dual core but can serve two threads per core because of Hyper-Threading.

Core i5 processors are quad cores and they don’t support Hyper-Threading. The number of threads they can serve at the same time is just about equal to those of their Core i3.

2) Turbo-Boost –

6th generation Core i3 Processor lack one thing – Turbo Boost.If you use the Core i5 in a 3D rendering application it will probably only operate at its base clock speed because all four cores will be used. However, if you use the Core i5 with a game which only needs two cores, the third and fourth cores go into a low power state and the two cores you’re actually using are running at a clock speed as fast as what you’d expect from a standard dual core processor.

The Intel Turbo Boost Technology allows a processor to dynamically increase its clockspeed whenever the need arises. The maximum amount that Turbo Boost can raise clockspeed at any given time is dependent on the number of active cores, the estimated current consumption, the estimated power consumption, and the processor temperature. For example i5-4690K model has maximum clock speed of 3.6 Ghz and Turboo speed up to 3.9 GHz.

3) Cache –

Core i3 has 4 MB cache memory and i5 has 6 MB. Whenever the CPU finds that it keeps on using the same data over and over, it stores that data in its cache. Cache is just like RAM, only faster — because it’s built into the CPU itself. Both RAM and cache serve as holding areas for frequently used data. Without them, the CPU would have to keep on reading from the hard disk drive, which would take a lot more time.

So if you want to use some heavy application it is better to go for i5/4 GB RAM. But if you want to do multiple task it is better to for i3/8 GB.